In light of rent control activists collecting enough valid petition signatures to force a ballot vote in November aimed at repealing Bayonne's vacancy decontrol law, the City Council last night introduced the Keep Rent Control Ordinance.

But the council members did not schedule a public hearing on the measure and the city's attorney said that questions still linger about to the validity of the submitted petitions.

"I was asked today whether or not the particular original petitions that you received are conforming with the Superior Court's decision that happened the last time the petitions went before the court," City Attorney Charles D'Amico told City Clerk Robert Sloan during the meeting, which was attended by roughly 30 residents. He said he would check into it.

This is the activists' third attempt to overturn the city's vacancy decontrol ordinance that was adopted in November. That law allows landlords to remove units from rent control guidelines if a tenant willingly moves or is legally evicted.

The activists tried twice before to repeal that law but didn't collect enough valid signatures of registered voters in the city to force a special election on a matter.

This time they pursued the "initiative" process, which lowered the signature threshold they had to meet from 845 to 563, and would put the matter up for vote on the November ballot.

Based on state statute, the council has 20 days from yesterday to repeal the vacancy decontrol ordinance. If they don't, the Keep Rent Control Ordinance is automatically placed on the November ballot, assuming the signatures hold up to the city's legal scrutiny.

Sloan said last night a public hearing will be scheduled "within the next couple of days . . . unless there is some other change."

"The council will have to meet again . . . probably early next week to pass a resolution to set a hearing date and then the hearing date would be a second reading and council has an opportunity to enact the ordinance if they so choose," Sloan said.

City Council Terry Ruane refused to say what the council intends to do.

"I expected something like this," said Douglas Wasama, president of Keep Bayonne Rent Control.
Editor's note: The correct version of the print story has been inserted into the article.